The moments that count
by Sammichbatch
Summary: Just a one-shot of what I would have liked to have happened after Countdown. Watching Castle walk away, will Beckett finally admit to herself what she had been denying for so long? Have the past twenty-four hours awaken something within her?


**The moments that count.**

Disclaimer: __**I own nothing to do with the show Castle, or the characters. I borrow the aspects that I need and turn them in to what I want.**

Warning: This is my first Castle fanfic- I want complete honesty.

Author's note: This is how I think the events after Countdown should have gone. You will notice that I don't give Josh dialogue. I just don't like him so he doesn't deserve any.

-xo-

Defeated after a rather long and torturous day, Richard left the Precinct with the words he so desperately wanted to say still unspoken. 'I was thinking' and that was all he managed before he noticed Josh. Despite the life and death situations that he and Kate had found themselves in throughout the past twenty-four hours, Rick managed to keep his try feelings hidden, respecting that Kate still had 'Dr motorcycle boy' by her side. Richard loved Kate, there was no denying that. But more than that, Richard Castle was in love with Katherine Beckett. "Long day" he mused to himself as he exited the cab outside of his apartment. He was aware, or at least he hoped that Kate felt at least something for him.

-xo-

In the arms of her boyfriend, Katherine Beckett still didn't feel secure. She longed to return to the arms of her 'writer boy' like she was in the freezer. Although there was the highest chance of them freezing to death, Kate felt safe from the world. Now in the arms of Josh, nothing felt right; nothing was as it should be. Kate had confessed to Rick earlier that because Josh had come back from Haiti because of her their relationship stood a chance. Although her smile seemed genuine at the time she knew that she was only trying to convince herself. Nothing was right; not whilst she only had ordinary in place of extraordinary. "Yeah, no, I'm fine" Kate answered Josh's questioning eyes, smiling convincingly. She was far from fine, but that was her problem and hers alone.

-xo-

Opening the door to his apartment, Rick felt a wave of disappointment wash over him at not hearing the sound of his daughter and mother echo through the place. Sending them away to the Hamptons was for the best; just in case he and Kate finally failed a case for the first time. Exhausted, Rick hung his jacket up before heading to the kitchen for a cold one. When he had signed on to follow the best detective in the 12th Precinct, never did he imagine that he would be helping in such a case where potentially millions of lives were in danger, letalone saving those thousands of lives. Selfishly, however, Richard Castle only had one person in mind when he pulled the wires out of the bomb; his partner, Katherine Beckett. He knew that his family were out of town, and since he couldn't get Kate out of town and to safety he was going to have their last moments together silently showing that his last thoughts were of trying to protect her; trying to protect the woman that he had fallen madly in love with.

-xo-

"Let me just get my stuff, and we can clear off" Kate smiled, pulling out of Josh's embrace. She didn't want to be there any longer than she had to be; any longer than she could handle. Josh's reply seemed distant, though she figured it was in account of her mind being a million miles away. Kate grabbed her belongings off of her desk, said goodbye to the Captain, Ryan, and Esposito, then took Josh's outstretched arm and walked by his side out of the Precinct. He had come back for her, and Kate couldn't get that out of her mind. He had strong feelings for her, but if she was honest with herself, she loved someone else; someone that she had just let walk out of the Precinct without so much of a hint of her true feelings.

-xo-

Slumping down on his sofa, Rick tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Memories of Kate's hand going limp against his body in the freezer came flooding back, causing him to open his eyes abruptly. It was going to be a long night. He knocked back half the long neck in his hand before placing it on the coffee table and rising from the couch. He headed to the fridge, opening the door and staring at the contents. Thirty seconds later he elicited a small chuckle. "What is it about the fridge?" he asked himself rhetorically, thinking back to a conversation with Alexis about standing with the fridge door open.

-xo-

Kate opened her apartment door to reveal a relatively tidy, empty space. She hadn't spent much time there in the past twenty-four hours, and it seemed almost like a foreign space to her. She walked inside, placing her jacket and mobile down on the edge of the couch before turning to face Josh. With a weak smile, she placed herself in his arms. With her head sidewards against Josh's chest, she sighed. "I think I am just going to soak in the tub for a while before heading to bed" she explained, "thank you so much for coming back, though. I'll call you tomorrow?" It seemed just like things had been for weeks; putting things off and not stopping to talk about it. At that moment, however, Kate didn't care. Josh left the apartment, and Kate collapsed on to her sofa.

-xo-

Forgetting his beer that he left on the coffee table, Rick headed upstairs for a shower. Annoyingly, he could still feel a cold chill run through his veins occasionally and he really just wanted to get rid of that. For a moment, he wondered if Kate was getting the same chills. Turning the taps on, Rick took in the welcoming familiar sensation of the steam on his skin before ridding himself of his clothes and stepping in to the rectangular glass prism. He let out a moan as the hot water ran down the back of his head and down his back, trickling down between his thighs and to the floor of the shower. It felt like heaven to the previously frozen mystery writer.

-xo-

Kate stripped down her clothes, standing naked beside her tub of hot water and bubbles. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she involuntarily shivered. She could see the scar that graced the outside of her right thigh. There was a story behind that scar, but it wasn't one she liked to revisit often. Elegantly, Kate slipped in to the tub, her body up to her neck immediately vanishing underneath the sheet of white bubbles. She let out a small moan, relinquishing everything over to the warmth of the hot water relaxing her muscles. There was a similar cold shiver through her body, but it was gone as soon as it presented.

-xo-

Richard stood in front of his bathroom mirror with just a towel wrapped around his waist. Examining his face, he could see the bags forming under his eyes. He was exhausted, stressed, and just ready to collapse in bed and sleep for the next twelve hours straight. He briefly wondered if Kate had collapsed in to the land of unconsciousness yet, but then he remembered that Josh was with her. A familiar feeling of loathing came over him as he thought about how Josh was probably soothing Kate and relaxing her whilst he stood looking at himself in the mirror. With a sigh of disapproval, Rick pushed off and headed to his bedroom, ready to put his flannel pyjama pants on and collapse.

-xo-

Closing her eyes and taking in the warmth of the bath, images and feelings from the past twenty-four hours came flooding back. She knew that the pleasure of sleep wasn't going to be easy, but it was definitely needed. Sighing, she lifted herself from the tub, wrapping a large fluffy towel around her as she stepped on to the mat. The towel came down far enough to cover her scar, so it didn't even cross her mind this time. Kate blew the candle out that was next to the tub and headed towards her bedroom.

-xo-

Snuggled in bed, every time Rick closed his eyes unwanted images flashed through his mind; images of being stuck in the freezer, images of Kate being unconscious, images of Kate and Josh. Letting out a groan, Rick rolled over on to his back, staring at the dark ceiling. Looking to his left, his alarm clock was flashing nine o'clock. No wonder Rick Castle couldn't sleep; he hadn't been in bed that early since before he could remember. Turning his attention back to the ceiling, the ring of his mobile didn't go unnoticed. In a hurry to untangle himself from his sheets, Rick stumbled his way out of bed and downstairs. By the time he remembered where he left his phone, it had stopped ringing. Checking the missed call, the ID said 'Beckett'.

-xo-

Having Rick not answer his phone, Kate figured that he was able to get to sleep and that she would leave him that way. She had tried reading a book, but couldn't concentrate, so then she tried closing her eyes to let sleep take over, but she couldn't shake the images that would come to mind. Finally she gave in and called the person that she knew would understand. Josh hadn't even crossed her mind to call. Kate placed her phone on the coffee table, figuring that she would attempt to sleep again. Closing her eyes, it was only seconds later that her phone started ringing. Checking the ID, Kate couldn't help but smile.

"Beckett" she said casually, not wanting to let on that something was wrong.  
"Hey, I just had a missed call from you?" Castle replied, wanting to know what was going on.  
"Oh yeah, that..." Kate trailed off, not having an explanation, "I was just checking in to see how you were holding up". Technically that was the truth, just not the whole truth.  
"Right... I'm good. Just reading a book" he lied, not wanting to tell her that he couldn't sleep.  
"Same" she replied. She tried reading a book; at least, it just didn't work. Kate wasn't usually one for a casual conversation, so she realized that the conversation was a little awkward. The line was quiet for a moment before Kate spoke again. "Well, I should go. Night, Castle" she said.  
"Kate, wait" Rick said quickly, softening things a bit by daring to use her first name. "You never ring just to see how I am holding up... What's wrong?" he pushed, knowing that she had something on her mind.  
"I just... I couldn't sleep. I guess I wanted to know if it was just me" she explained, now feeling a little foolish, "I'm sorry for disturbing you"  
"Don't apologize, Beckett" Castle chastised gently, "I understand. I can't sleep either. How about you come over, and we can knock back some cold ones?"  
Kate hesitated, but eventually gave in. "Alright. I'll see you soon" she said.  
Rick could hear a faint 'thank you' before the line went dead.

-xo-

Hearing a knock at his door, Rick jumped up off of his sofa and jogged to the door. He was curious as to why Kate had called him instead of Josh, or why Josh wasn't with Kate at all. He figured that 'motorcycle boy' would stay with the detective for the night to make sure that she was alright. Knowing that Josh wasn't with Kate gave Rick a flicker of hope. "Hey stranger" he smiled warmly as he opened the door to reveal a very exhausted looking detective.

"Thanks for having me, Castle" Kate smiled back, taking a few seconds before crossing the threshold in to the writer's apartment. She knew that he was there alone, but out of habit she looked around for Alexis or Martha. "It sounds empty without Alexis or Martha" Kate laughed a little, turning to look at Rick.

"Tell me about it" Rick sighed. He just had to keep reminding himself that they were gone for a good reason, and that they were safe. He took Kate's jacket, hanging it up with his own. "Can I get you a drink?" he questioned, moving towards the kitchen.

"Nice pyjama pants" Kate deadpanned, raising a perfectly sculptured eyebrow. She shouldn't have expected anything more from the man who liked to commando around his apartment playing laser tag with his daughter. She followed him towards the kitchen, stopping on the outer side of the counter. "A drink would be good" she finally answered.

Rick took two long necks from the fridge, handing one to Kate. He took the cap off his as Kate did the same and then he chinked his glass bottle with hers. "To surviving a long day" he smiled weakly, remembering that they almost didn't survive the day _twice_. If anyone understood, it was his 'work wife', as he had referred to her as early on in their friendship.

"To surviving a long day" Kate echoed, taking a long and refreshing drink of her beer. That mouthful really hit the spot, and she could feel herself start to relax already. She didn't plan on drinking a lot, even though she could hold her alcohol well, because just being in the company of Rick was settling her enough. "Have you heard from Alexis since you sent them away?" Kate asked casually.

Rick shook his head, "I sent Alexis a message to tell her I was alright but I don't expect to hear from them until I call them and tell them everything is alright. I didn't want them travelling all the way back tonight" he explained, before taking another mouthful f of beer. "Where's Josh?" he asked gently.

"At home, I would imagine" Kate replied, averting her eyes from his gaze. She didn't want questions about why she was there, instead of with her boyfriend. She wasn't in the mood to talk about it, and she hoped that Rick would respect that.

Rick realized the tone in Kate's voice, recognizing it to be a 'not now, Castle' tone. It was a tone he had heard it a few times before, and it was always in his best interest to obey it. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pushed himself up from leaning on the counter and gestured toward the sofa with a wave of his hand. "We shall drink in comfort" he said formally, taking a step to the side so Kate could sit down first.

The run-down detective fell back on to the sofa, her usual resolve slipping with each mouthful of alcohol she took. "I shouldn't be letting this get to me, Castle" Kate sighed, "If I was a better cop, I would be able to separate myself from everything that has happened". With that, she took another mouthful, realizing that she was running out quite quickly.

"If you were a better cop, you would be superwoman" Rick replied without missing a beat, sitting down next to Kate, "you're the best out there, and we both know it. What we went through today would get to anybody, probably even superwoman. It was quite the ordeal, Beckett, and not something you should expect to get over overnight. You are going to get through it though... We're going to get through it".

"When did you grow up and become the wise guy?" Kate asked, rolling her head to the side to look at her 'plucky side-kick'. At that moment she saw everything she ever wanted to see in a man's eyes; compassion, adoration, admiration, respect, playfulness but also seriousness, but most of all she saw love. The detective was certainly losing her resolve and although she was well aware of it, she was beyond caring.

"What good would it be if we were both down on ourselves?" he smiled lightly, placing his beer bottle on the coffee table next to the one he had left there earlier. "Besides, I don't want you to be superwoman... you're extraordinary just the way you are".

Feeling warmth spread through her body, Kate noticed the goosebumps invading her skin. She knew what her body wanted, and for as long as she has denied it, her mind has always wanted the same thing. From the moment Rick told her that she had gorgeous eyes, Kate felt something towards the mystery writer. "Rick, I..." she trailed off, placing her beer bottle on the floor at her feet before placing her left hand on the side of his face. Staring in to his eyes, the rest of the world disappeared around them. "I never finished what I wanted to say... in the freezer" she whispered, her voice hitching.

"Kate, don't" Rick replied, not wanting her to regret what she was going to admit, "you're intoxicated and have had a har-"

"Shh, Castle" Kate whispered before closing her eyes and placing her lips on Rick's. She waited until she felt him respond before kissing him properly, moving her lips slowly, gently, intertwined with his. Katherine Beckett had so desperately wanted to kiss the man again after the time they used a kiss as a 'decoy'. She wanted to feel that same feeling; the feeling that someone was there to protect her, the feeling of vulnerability. She needed to feel in order to believe she was still human and Rick Castle was always the one to provide that.

Out of necessity, Rick pulled back and took a deep breath. "Whoa" he exhaled, looking deep in to Kate's eyes. He could see that she meant the kiss and that everything she felt she had just been conveyed to him. "Kate, I-"

"No, let me" Kate whispered breathlessly, "from the day we met you have been there for me. You have been around where nobody else dared to. You have pushed me to my limits, and you've also pulled me back. Every chance you got you showed me how you felt about me, and occasionally voiced it. Now it's my turn... I love you, Richard Castle. I've been denying it to myself for so long, but I love you". There were tears forming in her eyes, but she kept them at bay. Kate wasn't used to putting so many feelings on the line in fear of being hurt, but she couldn't keep them in anymore.

"I have always loved you" Rick replied, leaning in and connecting their lips again. He had waited for her to accept her feelings, and now he believed that he could really show her how much she meant to him. He scooted closer to her, placing his hands on her waist. Without breaking the kiss, Rick manoeuvred his way so he was laying flat on his back on the sofa, with Kate hovering over him. Again breaking the kiss out of necessity of air, Rick looked straight in to the eyes of the woman that meant the world to him. "Are you sure?" he questioned seriously.

Kate nodded her head in response. She had dreamt of this moment time and time again, and now she was finally ready for it to happen. Slowly, she ran one hand down Rick's body, stopping at the bottom of his shirt. Deciding that that wasn't going to work, she sat up a little, resting her weight on him. With a sly smirk, she took the bottom of the shirt and pulled it up and off Rick's body, leaving him in only his pyjama shorts.

Calmly, Rick lifted his hands to the buttons on Kate's shirt. As if teasing himself as well as her, he undid each button slowly, revelling in the way the detective's back arched as his hands ran down her stomach. Finally Rick pulled the shirt off, and placed his lips on her clavicle. With his hot breath tickling the skin, Rick made a trail of short, sweet kisses down Kate's chest and stopping between her breasts.

Feeling her whole body heating up, Kate let out a small moan as Rick stopped his kisses between her breasts. She could feel her centre moistening as he hardened beneath her. Impatiently, she pushed the writer back down on to the couch and ran her tongue down his stomach before stopping at the waist of his pants. Without looking up to him, she took the waistband in her hands and pulled them roughly down his thighs. With a satisfied smirk, Kate moved back up Rick's now exposed body, her breasts skimming his skin as she went.

Needing to feel his partner in ways he never had before, Rick was growing increasingly more turned on. He didn't want to rush things with her because he didn't want to ruin things, but at the same time he could sense the impatience in his partner and welcomed it. Having the detective back sitting on top of him, Rick undid the button and zipper to her jeans, tapping the side of her hip gently to indicate for her to lift herself a little. With ease, _perhaps a little too much ease,_ Rick pulled down Kate's jeans and underwear at the same time. When he couldn't reach them anymore, he allowed Kate to take them the rest of the way off.

Kate felt a wave of subconsciousness wash over her at being so exposed in front of the person basing a character off her, but as soon as it came it was gone. She brought her lips back down to meet his, at the same her hand ran down between the pair until it reached his 'pride'. She felt Rick's breath hitch and couldn't help but smirk against his lips. After a few rubs of Rick's manhood, Kate gently guided him inside her, feeling him fill her up completely.

Rick ran his hands up the side of the perfect body on top of him. He wanted to feel all of her, learn all of her curves, her dips. He thrust inside of Kate in sync with her riding him. To stop himself from moaning too loudly, he attached his lips to the side of Kate's neck, leaving slight kisses and quite possibly some marks that she would kill him for. Running his hands up Kate's thighs, he felt her squirm and shy away a little when he felt ran over a scar. "You're beautiful" was all he said in to her ear before realizing that she had calmed down.

-xo-

The pair continued to make love for a time that they were not aware of. They were quiet and sensual at times, loud and passionate at others. The coming together of their bodies was not something that either of them was going to forget any time soon, and it was not something that even came close in comparison to anything else. Finally Kate slumped down on to Rick's body, panting heavily with sweat forming over her body.

"Wow" she panted, burying her face in the nook of Rick's neck, "that really was something". She had lost count of the times she had orgasmed throughout their love making, but she was satisfied and beat nonetheless.

"It really was" Rick replied, his breathing quick and irregular. He had slept with many people before Kate, but none of them even came close to what he felt with her; both emotionally and sexually. He wrapped his hands around her hot, naked body, keeping her close.

"I'm beat" Kate chuckled, kissing the side of Rick's neck, "at least for now". A few moments of silence passed when Kate finally pushed herself up off of the couch. "Come on, superstar" she smiled, "we should probably get some sleep". She held out her hand, enclosing it around the larger one and pulling the man up off of the couch too.

Rick followed Kate through the house and up the stairs. He had never seen the woman so carefree and released, and he loved it. Catching a glimpse of a clock, he was surprised to see that it read after one in the morning. He had a feeling that he was going to be able to get to sleep after the performance he just gave and received. Following his partner through the door in to the bedroom, Rick kicked the door closed. The light was off, but there was moonlight streaming through the crack in the curtains.

Kate pulled back the blankets of Rick's bed before slipping in to it, snuggling in and looking expectantly up at the man that she let everything go for. "Well?" she chuckled, "are you going to join me, or watch me all night?" She knew that he was just taking everything in, and he had every right to.

"Both" Rick replied before slipping in next to Kate and allowing her to snuggle against him. "I love you" he whispered, pulling her closer to him. Now he had told her, he was going to make sure she knew it every chance that he got. He heard Kate tell him that she loved him too before he felt her breath slow down and her body go limp. He panicked for a second before realizing that she was just asleep. Before long, Rick was asleep himself.

-xo-

"Do you think everything is alright now?" Alexis asked Martha as the pair came rushing through the door to the apartment, "I mean, dad and Detective Beckett would have fixed everything, right?" Alexis didn't want to stay in the Hamptons any longer so she pressed the issue until her grandma had finally given in and allowed them to come home. "Dad?" she called in to the seemingly empty apartment before heading for the stairs.

Martha closed the door before looking around the place. It looked empty, but then she noticed the beer bottles on the coffee table. Curiously she took a few steps closer, and it was then that she noticed her son's clothes on the floor as well as someone else's. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the other set of clothes belonged to Detective Beckett. "Alexis!" she called quietly, but the teenager was already up the stairs.

Alexis bounded down the hall towards her dads room, only caring to see if he was alright since she failed to notice the clothes downstairs. Without even thinking, she flung the door to her father's room open. "Dad?" she called, before stopping dead in her tracks. The sheets were covering most of Kate and Rick, but they dipped enough to reveal Kate's bare back and Rick's bare chest and calf. The detective was snuggled up to Rick with her head on his chest, with the writer's arms wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Castle?" Kate said groggily, being awoken by a noise. She opened her eyes, and to her surprise she saw a read head standing in the doorway with Martha coming up behind her. "Alexis!" she exclaimed, pulling the sheets up to her chin which in turn woke Richard.

"Kate?" he question before opening his eyes fully. "Oh!" he exclaimed, looking from his family to the woman in his bed. "Hey guys" he smiled sheepishly, "could you give us a moment?" He watched as his family nodded before leaving and closing the door behind them. "I am so sorry about that" Rick sighed, kissing Kate on the temple, "I didn't expect them back so early".

Embarrassed, Kate just hid her head in her pillow. "Great" she mumbled. The last thing she wanted was for Alexis to see her in bed with the girl's dad. She felt a hand rest on her lower back so she lifted her head. "I should go" she admitted.

"Don't even think about it" Rick warned. He leant down and kissed her shoulder blade, then up to the back of her next, moving strands of hair as he went. "I want you here, and Alexis loves you. She will be slightly traumatized, but moreso about seeing me half naked then seeing you here with me" he explained, "so please, just stay".

-xo-

Twenty minutes later Rick and Kate emerged from the bedroom. Kate was swimming in her partner's button up shirt and boxers, but she felt at home. She felt like she was where she belonged. Kate couldn't wipe the grin off of his face as Alexis just rolled her eyes in an 'about time' way. Martha just shook her head with a smile before giving Kate a 'welcome to the family' hug. 


End file.
